I was wondering if any other owners of the Model of 91, 1st model singleshot pistols have all matching numbers. I have seen that Harry Pope generally had barrels on hand already relined, would put one on the customers pistol and ship back to him, relining that barrel later. As a result most pistols done by him do not have all matching serial numbers. A correspondence from Tom Rowe says the barrels done by H M Pope began with the number 100 [mine is #167]. As I have all matching numbers, wondered if anyone else does, or not, to see if the information is correct about the trading of barrels?

It is my understanding, as you say, Pope would install finished (relined) barrels from his inventory, and return (what we now regard as) mismatched guns-----if and when he had finished barrels in stock. Otherwise, he would reline the customer's barrel and return the gun (intact). That said, I have no Pope barrels on any of my single shots----more's the pity; so I am repeating what I've been told---not what I've seen with my own eyes!

As an aside, I have no knowledge whatsoever about the numbering of Pope's barrels.

Ralph Tremaine